The Cystic Foundation: A Story of Progress, Hope and Challenge

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 4:20pm to 5:45pm

Baker Lab, 200 259 East Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

Dr. Robert J. Beall has been with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for over 30 years. He began his tenure at the CF Foundation as Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, and for the past 17 years he has served as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to joining the CF Foundation, Dr. Beall was on the medical school faculty of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and at the National Institutes of Health where he managed a large portion of their cystic fibrosis program.

Under Dr. Beall’s leadership, the CF Foundation has become one of the most respected voluntary health organizations in the country, and is recognized for its innovative approaches to bring new therapies to patients with the disease. The creation of an innovative research centers program in the 1980s (the Research Development Program) attracted many leading institutions and first-rate scientists to the CF research effort.

This collaborative network contributed to the identification of the CF gene in 1989. Since that time, the focus has been on translating knowledge about the gene and the basic defect into the development of novel CF treatments. In 1998, the CF Foundation launched its ground-breaking Therapeutics Development Program, a unique coalition between industry, academics and the CF Foundation that is directed at the discovery and development of additional approaches to CF drug discovery and development.

As a result of the pioneering business model of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, there are currently nearly 30 potential CF therapeutic products in the pipeline, and the prospects for a cure and control for cystic fibrosis have never been higher.

This lecture is part of the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs Fall 2012 Colloquium Series.